NYU researcher creates super strong metal that floats on water

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Nikhil Gupta is a researcher at NYU Polytechnic University, he’s also the creator of a new, super strong metal that is so light it floats on water.

The new metal is actually a magnesium-alloy syntactic foam, which means it’s a composite material consisting of a metal matrix filled with hollow particles known as microballoons. So while it’s a piece of solid metal from the outside, its construction is much like a piece of Swiss cheese inside. So you get the strength, but without the weight.

A very strong material that is also very light has many applications. The military has already shown an interest in Gupta’s materials work, funded his research, and used a syntactic foam to construct the deck of a modern ship. This new metal could be used to construct an entire ship, but just as easily could make vehicles significantly lighter and therefore increase their fuel efficiency without sacrificing strength.

This metal is 44% stronger than a similar foam using aluminum, and is able to withstand 25,000 pounds per square inch of pressure. Its density is just 1 gram per cm3. As for cost, Gupta says it will be cheap because the components that make up the foam are commonly available and in use in manufacturing already. He believes we’ll see his new syntactic foam in use before the end of 2018, although initially that may be in some military hardware.

Such a metal is sure to grab the attention of manufacturers producing products that need to be fuel efficient, such as cars and aircraft. It’s also going to be a concern for any company putting money into plastics that are as strong as steel. If syntactic foam turns out to be lighter, stronger, and cheap to produce, the market for a plastic alternative will shrink significantly.